Well, this is a post I thought I would never write. To say that my heart broke after receiving this news is an understatement. We were so excited to bring Sketchie home from the vet last week. As you may recall, he had exploratory surgery in an effort to determine his health issues (see this post for more info). I was convinced that he had IBD. To be honest, I was second-guessing our decision to proceed with the surgery. Would it even help him? Was it worth it to put him through all of this? I felt so unsure and conflicted.
Eric picked him up from the vet last week and I stayed back to finish up some work. He was gone a really long time which I thought was unusual. When I heard the door open I yelled, “Sketchieeee!!” like I always do in a high-pitched voice whenever I see him after being out. I ran down the stairs to greet them both and stopped in my tracks when I saw the look on Eric’s face. I knew something was terribly wrong.
After seeing Eric fight back tears I could only get out “what’s wrong?” in a choked up voice.
“Sketchie has lymphoma.”
I just collapsed into Eric’s arms. Completely lost it. The whole day was like one long nightmare. I wasn’t prepared for any of this. Even though the vet mentioned lymphoma might be a possibility, I thought “not Sketchie”. Eric explained that it’s small cell lymphoma (in his intestines) which apparently has a decent chance of responding to the treatment. I kept reading things online that treatment could help them live a few years (a few years?, I’d wail) and then I had to just stop reading about it. It was too much to process.
To make matters worse, Sketchie was still in a fair amount of pain, totally not himself and unsettled. Seeing the 15+ staples in his shaved belly was hard. It was a really difficult few days, but we gave him so much love and attention to try to help him feel better. His eyes looked so sad, obviously not knowing what the heck happened to his body. I’m so grateful though that the surgery went well without any complications.
So here we are a week and a half later still grappling with the news and trying to figure out what course of treatment we’re going to take. If anything, I’m so grateful that we were able to get the exploratory surgery to determine the root cause of his digestive issues and low B12. And that we caught it early. Knowledge is power!
I just want to thank you for thinking of Sketchie over the past couple weeks. Many of you left lovely comments and tweets and it really means a lot to me. I’d love to hear from those of you who might have had a similar experience with your pet and what treatment options you used. Right now, we’re open to exploring our options while keeping in mind his quality of life, above all.
The good news is that Sketchie is recovering well from his surgery! He’s a trooper! After 4-5 days, he seemed much more like himself. His appetite is back which is reassuring because he lost a lot of weight over the past 6 months. The spark in his eyes is back. Today he gets his staples out which I’m nervous about, so I hope it goes well and he’s not too traumatized by going back there so soon.
He’s still a young cat (7 years), so I’m hoping he will respond well to treatment. I know this one is not going down without a fight.
Now go on and hug your pets for me, will you?
+++++++++++
Updates:
In lighter news, I wanted to thank you for your incredible comments on my Cookbook Launch & Sneak Peek Post this week. I was on cloud nine all week seeing your tweets, Facebook messages, and comments come in. It really helped cheer me up and take my mind off things.
Newsletter:
I sent out the second cookbook newsletter yesterday, so be sure to check your spam box because they have a tendency to end up there. If you still haven’t received any newsletters yet, please add “[email protected]” to your email contact list to ensure that you get future newsletters. That should do the trick! If you’d like to read the 2nd newsletter in the meantime, you can do so on my book page (it’s linked near the bottom of the page).
New OSG Virtual Cookbook Blog Tour Reviews:
Check out these new reviews and don’t forget to enter the giveaways!
Dreena @ Plant Powered Kitchen (review, recipe, giveaway)
Kate @ Cookie + Kate (review, recipe)
Kaila @ Healthy Helper Blog (review, recipe, giveaway)
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies! (review, recipe, giveaway)
Kathy @ Healthy Happy Life (review, recipe)
Cadry @ Cadry’s Kitchen (review, recipe, giveaway)
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan (review, recipe, giveaway)
Nicole @ A Dash of Compassion (review, recipe, giveaway)
Livvy @ 86 Lemons (review, recipe, giveaway)
Ashley @ {Never} home maker (review, recipe, giveaway)
Emily @ Daily Garnish (review, recipe, giveaway)
Sarah @ The Sweet Life (review, recipe, giveaway)
Jess @ Get Sconed (review, interview)
Canada AM:
Lastly, I had two fun TV appearances this week. The first one was Tuesday morning on Canada AM. I somehow managed to get through LIVE TV without passing out. hah. You can find the link to watch the video at the bottom of my book page. Thanks to my friend Karly for the screenshot above!
Steven and Chris:
The second appearance was a taping for the Steven and Chris show. It was also a total blast! We made my Empowered Noodle Bowl with Orange-Maple Miso Dressing. I don’t have an official air date yet, but I will let you know as soon as I find out. It should be within the next week or two. I hear that it’s syndicated on the Live Well Network in the US, so hopefully those of you in the US can watch it online as well.
[a couple behind the scenes photos from Steven and Chris. Thanks to Ange for the bottom photo!]
Thank you again for making this week one I won’t soon forget. Have a great weekend!
Oh, crap, I am so sorry to hear about Sketchie! :( I wish I had any advice. My first cat battled kidney failure for 1.5 years, so I can relate and know how hard it is, especially because cats can’t verbally tell you how they feel. :( I hope you figure out a good treatment plan and that all goes well. I will keep you all in my thoughts! (And will cuddle all my 3 cats after I write this.)
And CONGRATS for the book! I already have it in my shopping cart and cannot wait to get it. I will feature it on my blog once it arrives!
xx
Alice
A (+E)
sending vibes of strength and courage for you and the kitty. my family dog (that currently lives on the other side of the world with my parents) was diagnosed with cancer this past year – at only 7 years old too – and I can tell you the pain seems insurmountable. don’t forget to allow yourself to feel helpless and angry every once in a while as long as you fill the gaps with all that love, resilience and hopefulness. I hope Sketchie gets healthier and I hope you can find peace of mind knowing he is a very loved little dude. x
I’m so so sorry to hear that about dear Sketchie. Big hugs to you and Eric and Sketchie.
Your book arrived Saturday afternoon and I spent all of Saturday evening savoring each and every page. It is fabulous! Yesterday morning, I read your post in tears. I thought of Sketchie all day and wish I had the perfect words to comfort you. He is in the best possible hands with such wonderful parents. Sending many hugs and positive thoughts to you, Eric, and Sketchie. Thanks for posting those handsome pictures of him.
Please look into a natural product called Protocel. I am using it for IV breast/bone/liver cancer and have heard great things about giving it to animals.
I am so sorry about little Sketchie. I will keep you and Sketchie in my thoughts and prayers. My little Gracie lived to 20 so 7 is very young and that is in his favor. Please know that little fur babies are great fighters. I think getting his appetite back is a great sign. Please take care and I wish you only the best. Please keep us posted if you can.
Hi, Angela. I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of years now and look forward to it so much; I love your spirit. And I love my cats too, like nobody’s business. I’ll be holding Sketchie in my heart and praying for a good outcome I’m so glad to hear he’s bouncing back from the surgery so well; that has to be a good sign.
Pam
Angela,
I’m so sorry to hear about Sketchie. Just reading your last post made me tear up, and this update breaks my heart—there’s something about knowing how much our animal companions do for us that makes it so hard to not be able to do everything for them. I hope that Sketchie responds well to treatment! I went through this with my first animal love, my (frankly badass) cat, and I’ll never forget the heartbreak and fear of watching him get sick. Thank you for writing about this on your blog. While I eagerly watch for new recipes, the small glimpses of Sketchie you’ve shared over the years are delightful and Oh She Glows wouldn’t be the same without them. Best of luck and hopes for better days ahead!
Dear Oh She Glows Girl Angela,
I was so excited to see the title of this email to me.
I actually thought “Oh! I hope we get to hear how her kitty is.”
I don’t normally feel that way about emails from people I don’t know ;)
So I’m writing back to say:
#1: Best of the world’s total luck with your priceless Sketchie. He is adorable and well loved.
#2: you are going to get a LOT of responses to this email. Realize that is a LOT of love!
#2: your success is based upon just this ~ your willingness to share your life with people you don’t know (that would be me.)
#3: Keep up the great work of sharing your heart, in a time when less and less people are financially rewarded for doing so. Or maybe more and more of us are doing so. I don’t know which it really is, but I do know you are on to something: being yourself.
#4: If you find yourself in Boulder, Colorado you’ve got a friend (that would be me, and then we could say we actually know one another.)
love,
Sally Nurney
Boulder CO
I am so sorry to hear about sketchie. Small cell lymphoma usually respond well to chemo if you decide to go to that route. I work in an animal hospital and we do a fair about of chemo. If sketchie is a good patient, meaning tolerating frequent trips to the vet, getting blood draws etc then it may be worth while.
Hi Angela,
I’ve been reading your blog for several years but am sorry to say I’ve never posted (I know, shame on me! ☺). This week, though, I felt I really needed to for two reasons: Sketchie, and your cookbook. On Sketchie: I’ve had cats most of my life and am currently a proud cat mama of four. Although we’ve had cats with various cancers, I haven’t dealt with feline lymphoma and am sorry I can’t offer specific advice. However, I thought I’d share two lessons learned that have been helpful to me when dealing with pet issues. The first is to have a vet you trust. When our oldest kitty started to decline last August (he was 22 ☺), we knew our vet would be honest about what our choices were and what each might mean for our boy. We didn’t like the decision that came out of the prognosis (it was time to let go), but our vet’s integrity and compassion helped us be confident we were making the right choice.
The second thing is to trust your intuition and be gentle with yourself. There may be times in this battle when you’ll make yourself crazy wondering what the heck to do next. Caring for our pets is an imperfect process because they can’t tell us how they feel, at least in words, and sometimes we have to go with our guts. If you make choices founded in your love for Sketchie and do what feels right, chances are it will be.
I’m sorry this is happening to you during a time when you should be focused on celebrating your amazing cookbook. I had pre-ordered last June and literally danced around the dining room when the book finally arrived. I have dozens of terrific vegan cookbooks, but yours is simply stunning. The photos are beautiful, and I love the little tidbits and tips with each recipe. We’ve already enjoyed the African peanut/sweet potato stew, the portabella fajitas (which my mushroom-shy guy actually enjoyed – and I could live on!), original Glo Bars, and the chocolate-almond brownies (someone couldn’t wait for them to cool so they crumbled just as you predicted…but they were still delicious!).
Like others have said, I feel I’ve gotten to know you through your blog, and my heart was breaking for you as I read this post. Besides, I was WAY overdue to thank you for your hard work in developing and sharing incredible recipes – your work is a gift to those of us who follow your blog. I’m so happy your dreams are coming true in your work…and let’s have faith the same will be true for your Sketchie! I wish you continued success – and I will promise to buy any cookbook you write ☺
I’ve asked each of my crazy cats to send healing kitty thoughts to Sketchie, along with purrs of strength to you and Eric. Hang in there!
Angela,
My partner just surprised me with your book for my birthday! It’s tomorrow :) and he ordered your book for me :) I want to say congratulations on the book! Your blog, your story, and your recipes have inspired me to see food and health in a WHOLE new light.
My partner and I have enjoyed making your recipes and I can’t wait to see what else is inside your book! You are an amazing person, such an inspiration, and I hope all goes well in the future for you. I send Sketch my prayers since I know he isn’t doing too well.
*Blessings
~Paty
I am so sorry to hear about your beautiful Sketchie’s diagnosis. We have been through lymphoma with our beloved beagle, Jack. We, like you, wanted to do whatever we could do for him while keeping his quality of life as the top priority. We ended up seeing an oncologist who let us know our options, and also gave us the comforting news that for animals lymphoma often feels only like a mild cold, and that he wasn’t in terrible pain. We chose to go through chemo therapy with Jacky and he handled it like a champ, he never even so much as vomited. Our doctor let us know from the beginning that she could help Jacky and possibly extend the time we had with him, but that she couldn’t cure him. In the end we got 6 months with the love of our lives that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. I know how excruciating this news is, and I know nothing anyone has to say will make it any easier. My best peice of advice is just to hold him tight and love him as hard as you can. Know that there are many of us praying for you all and sending good thoughts your way.
Hi Angela,
I’m so sorry to hear about Sketchies’ health. I totally know what you are going through. I’ve been there too. I just spoke with a woman at a Raw Vegan Meetup I attended last week. She told me that she cured her dog of cancer by feeding him a Vegan diet. I don’t normally agree with feeding dogs or cats strictly veggies as they are true carnivores and I believe they need to eat what they would eat in the wild. However, if it works for healing; who wouldn’t be all for it. I don’t know what type of treatment Sketchie is going through. Obviously you have to fight tooth and nail for him in whichever way you can.
I wish you and your husband and Sketchie the best of wishes and health. I will pray for him.
Dear Angela,
I didn’t know what to say, the idea of an animal becoming so ill can be so devastating. When I read your post, I lay down next to my own babies to cuddle and the mere thought is just… I wish Sketchie and you two all the best and strength in the world, hopefully they can do something to help your poor baby.
Love, Mariëlle
I’m lifting up prayers for Sketchie. As a former staff member at a vet clinic, I know how amazing it is that you & Eric are so caring of & committed to Sketchie. That is so important for treatment and healing. I hope that you’ll receive clear guidance by the doctors and feel peaceful about your decisions. I admire your desire to consider quality of life.
So sorry to hear about this diagnosis. There is nothing that you could have done to prevent it, and I know you will do all you can for it now.
I was brokenhearted to hear about Sketchie’s diagnosis. Our pets are such pure sources of love and the best news is, it goes both ways. Go hold your little buddy for a bit. It will do you both good!
Keeping Sketchie (adorable name btw) in my prayers! My cat was having some serious health issues from last spring through this fall and no vet could figure out what was wrong. We had to confine her to one area of our house because she was constantly having “accidents” and she was never in a very good mood. This past fall she magically seemed to get better. She suddenly stopped having “accidents” and now roams the house freely and seems like she is her old self again. I know Sketchie is more than a cat, he is family and I’m sure that he can feel your overwhelming love for him!
I have a Bengal cat (luna) and I couldn’t bear it if something like this happened to her. My heart goes out for you. So sad. I hope Sketchie will pull through.
Sorry to hear about your poor Sketchie! I would just like to mention that I have a cat with chronic kidney failure. I’ve been using products from Only Natural Pet online. They have many supplements and remedies available. They have several products recommended for cats with cancer. Customer reviews are very promising. Wishing Sketchie all the best!